The homes, which ranged in size from 98 to 241.5 m2 (1056 to 2600 sf), were built as part of a Habitat for Humanity subdivision and designed with construction costs suitable for the non-profit organization. Suppliers should be consulted to understand the energy trade-offs.)īetween 20, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)-the DoE’s test facility- built and monitored five zero-energy test homes in Lenoir City, Tennessee. An airtight envelope and other technologies can reduce home energy use by approximately 70 percent, leaving the remainder of energy savings to be supplied by a small PV system. In other words, ZEH is not a single technology, but rather an assembly of integrated systems carefully specified to achieve cost-effective energy savings. 3 Due to the high costs of photovoltaics, ZEHs must rely heavily on a high-performance building envelope and other energy-efficient technologies to reach the goal of net-zero energy use. In recent years, these arrays have become increasingly more efficient and economically justifiable, but the price still hovers around $6500 to $10,000 per kWp. Photovoltaic units account for a large portion of the incremental cost of a ZEH versus a conventional home. For this reason, it sponsors continuing research and development, and implements tax credits for PVs and ‘whole-house’ energy savings under the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005) to make energy-efficient homes an economical option for builders and homebuyers. The DoE recognizes affordability is the primary hindrance barring the widespread acceptance of ZEHs. These homes have the potential to significantly affect energy consumption across the nation if the concept can be readily and affordably incorporated into the U.S. The excess is sold back to the local utility through the grid and credited to the home’s account to purchase energy during peak times or at night when consumption exceeds generation. During off-peak hours and during ideal, sunny conditions, these PVs produce more electricity than necessary. Roof-mounted photovoltaic (PV) arrays convert sunlight to energy that can be used in the home. Hand in hand with the zero-energy concept is the successful integration of energy-efficient technologies and renewable energy sources. Plastics can be an important part of these zero-energy homes, as they only result in the use of about five percent of all fossil fuels, according to 2005 information from the Energy Information Administration. Relying on both plastics and traditional building materials, the combination of SIPs and other energy-efficient technologies brings the ZEH concept closer to the mainstream than many design professionals might think. ZEHs produce as much energy as they consume-a quality depending heavily on foam plastic insulation building assemblies, such as structural insulated panels (SIPs), to form an airtight building envelope that cuts energy used for heating and cooling. As such, the Department of Energy’s (DoE’s) Building Technology program has made its goal to reduce residential consumption through the development and market adoption of the zero-energy home (ZEH) concept. homes account for 15 percent of the nation’s energy use.
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